Over the years, we have updated the design and introduced new features on CanadaCreate and our other websites. Whenever we implement significant changes, we ensure that visitors are greeted with a helpful maintenance page that informs them the site will be back online shortly.
An effective maintenance page does more than just notify visitors. It sets clear expectations, helps prevent broken links or incomplete transactions, and safeguards your SEO during periods of inactivity.
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of easily redirecting visitors to a custom maintenance page in WordPress, step by step. This way, you can maintain a professional appearance for your site while you work behind the scenes.
Why Should You Redirect Users to a WordPress Maintenance Page?
You may be curious why you shouldn’t allow users to see the ongoing work on your WordPress site. Although it might seem easier to leave things as they are, using a maintenance page presents several benefits.
For instance, a thoughtfully designed maintenance page demonstrates your commitment to user experience, even during downtime. It conveys a much more professional image than a broken site or confusing error messages.
Being transparent about maintenance reassures visitors that you are actively working behind the scenes, which can foster trust and help manage their expectations.
Redirecting users to a maintenance page is beneficial for your WordPress SEO. Search engines may penalize websites that frequently experience downtime or show errors. By using a maintenance page, you indicate a temporary issue, which helps protect your search engine rankings.
Additionally, a maintenance page can be utilized to gather email addresses, promote your social media profiles, or provide a preview of upcoming features, keeping visitors engaged while your site is temporarily offline.
In this guide, we will discuss how to create and redirect visitors to a maintenance page. Here’s a brief overview of the topics we will cover:
- How to Create a Maintenance Page in WordPress
- How to Redirect Visitors to the Maintenance Page in WordPress
- Bonus Resources 🔗: Additional Guides for Maintenance Pages
Let’s get started!
How to Create a Maintenance Page in WordPress
To begin, you will need to create a maintenance page, and the ideal tool for this is SeedProd. It is an easy-to-use drag-and-drop page builder that provides pre-designed templates and numerous customization options.
SeedProd allows you to effortlessly create an attractive maintenance page and configure WordPress maintenance redirects. Its flexibility is so impressive that some of our business partners use SeedProd to design their own websites.
Discover more about the SeedProd plugin by reading our comprehensive review.
In this tutorial, we will utilize the free SeedProd Lite version. There is also a premium version available that includes additional features and customization options. You can choose to display the maintenance page site-wide or on specific pages.
Begin by installing and activating the SeedProd plugin. If you need assistance, please refer to our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Once activated, the SeedProd setup wizard will appear. To set up the plugin, click the ‘Get Started’ button and follow the instructions provided on the screen.
Next, navigate to SeedProd » Landing Pages in your WordPress admin dashboard.
From this section, click the ‘Set up a Maintenance Mode Page’ button.
Following that, SeedProd will present you with various page templates to choose from.
The free version includes a limited selection of templates. However, by subscribing to SeedProd’s newsletter, you can unlock an additional 10 templates.
To choose a template, simply hover over it and click the orange checkmark button.
Once you select a template, a drag-and-drop page builder will appear. This allows you to customize your maintenance page by adding new elements or rearranging existing ones.
For instance, the plugin enables you to incorporate standard elements such as headings and images.
You can also opt for advanced elements like a contact form, enabling users to reach out with any inquiries regarding your scheduled maintenance.
Additionally, consider adding a countdown timer to inform users when your website will be back online.
By clicking on or selecting an existing element in the template, you can make further edits.
For example, you can modify the text, font, color, and style to better suit your needs.
Alternatively, you can remove the element if it doesn’t align with your requirements or brand aesthetic.
Once you finish designing your maintenance page, navigate to the ‘Page Settings’ tab at the top.
In the ‘General’ settings, you have the option to enter a title for your page.
Next, change the ‘Page Status’ from ‘Draft’ to ‘Publish’ to make it live.
After completing these steps, click the ‘Save’ button at the top and exit the page builder.
How to Redirect Visitors to the Maintenance Page in WordPress
When you exit the page builder, a popup will prompt you to activate maintenance mode.
Click the ‘Yes, Activate’ button to proceed.
You can also configure the WordPress maintenance redirect by navigating toSeedProd » Landing Pagesin your WordPress dashboard.
In the Maintenance Mode section, toggle the switch to ‘Active’ to enable the maintenance page.
After that, visit your website to view the newly created maintenance page.
Now, when a visitor accesses your site, they will see this maintenance page instead of the live website.
Bonus Resources 🔗: Additional Guides for Maintenance Pages
We hope this article has helped you learn how to redirect visitors to a maintenance page in WordPress. You may also want to check out our guides on:
- Creative Maintenance Page Ideas for Your WordPress Site
- How to Enable Maintenance Mode on Your WordPress Site
- How to Activate Maintenance Mode for WooCommerce
- Coming Soon vs Maintenance Mode: Understanding the Differences
- How to Design Stunning Coming Soon Pages in WordPress
- How to Generate a WordPress Maintenance Report for Clients
- Essential WordPress Maintenance Tasks to Perform Regularly
- Tips for Maintaining Your eCommerce Website
- The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up a Maintenance Page in WordPress
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